The prior art discloses a wide variety of support devices such as belts, braces, garments, etc., which commonly are useful for therapeutic or orthopedic rehabilitation following injury or surgery. A number of support devices of this type are designed to encircle the wearer at the waist, and to provide a supportive or corrective force to the lumbar region and sacrum region of the back where injury is most likely to occur. When such a support belt is firmly tensioned about the wearer's waist, the back musculature and spine are indirectly held in an arbitrary position with a limited freedom of movement. Further, belts of this type are, in the vast majority of cases, constructed of an elastic fabric or webbing. The elasticity may be unilalteral, typically in the horizontal plane with reference to the position of the wearer, or bi-directional so that the fabric can stretch in both directions, i. e., horizontally and vertically.
A support device or belt comprising an elastic fabric is advantageous in that it readily conforms to the contour of the wearer's body and provides comfort to the wearer after injury or surgery. However, an elastic belt will not sufficiently constrain the musculature nor vertebrae to protect these body parts from injury.
An elastic belt for support of the spinal column, especially in the region of the dorsal vertebrae and sacrum, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,731 to Tigges. The rear inner side of the belt is provided with an array of support elements which have a bowed middle part that overlies the vertebrae. The support elements are carried on a metal strip which is bent to conform to the natural contour of the spinal column, thereby imparting an hour glass shape to the belt. According to the Tigges patent, the support elements massage the muscles of the spinal column, and hold the abdomen in the correct place for exerting the requisite internal pressure against the spinal column.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,554,190 and 2,115,879 there are disclosed support garments comprising a plurality of elastic panels stretchable in a body encircling direction only. The panel sections are joined by cross-stitching, which permits one panel to move or stretch relative to an adjacent panel. In this manner, the garment conforms to the contour of the body.
Support belts have been provided With a pocket in the rear section. A thermoformable material that can be molded into a support panel at an elevated temperature is inserted into the pocket and molded directly to the body contour. Upon cooling to room temperature, the panel exhibits strength and resiliency. An orthopedic device utilizing this feature is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,167 Brunswick. The device comprises an elastic web, strap means for tightening the device, and a pocket for receiving the molding material which is shaped to the contour of the body part. According to Brunswick, this device provides for a quick, easy and comfortable means in fitting the brace to the patient. A similar device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,543 to Brooks et al.
The emphasis for these devices as shown in the prior art is therapeutic, that is for rehabilitation after injury or surgery. A person engaged in sports, vehicular driving, or in an occupation requiring lifting or sitting for long perids of time, needs proper back support and protection against injury. A back support belt that is elastic will provide comfort after injury, but will not provide a satisfactory constraint of any duration on the back musculature which, for example, is important to one who is lifting weights whether as a sport or in the course of their occupation.
It is the purpose of this invention to provide a back support belt that is prophylactic, and especially useful for an active person needing protection against injury.